Fireplace screen



lvlu'ch 14, 1939. D ElsELE 2,150,367

FIREPLACE SCREEN Filed Sept. 30, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. DdN/EL 16 5/551. 15:, BY

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIREPLACE SCREEN Daniel K. Eisele, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application September 30, 1937, Serial No. 166,505

7 Claims. 126 -202) This invention'has to do with screens such as are commonly employed in conjunction with fireplaces for the purpose of guarding against the escape of sparks, flying embers and other undesirable matter from the fireplace.

The present invention has in view as its foremost objective the provision of a metallic screen for a fireplace which is made up of two screen parts that are relatively movable into closed or open positions.

Associated. with this phase of the invention an important objective is the provision of improved means for mounting the screen parts in the fireplace in such a manner as to accommodate their relative movement. In carrying out this idea in a practical embodiment the invention has in view the use of a cross bar as a means for slidably supporting the screen parts.

Another somewhat more detailed object of the g invention is the provision of means for causing the sliding movement of the screen parts. In accordance with this invention a chain is mounted over pulleys and connected with the screen parts in such a manner that by pulling upon one end 5 of the chain the screen parts will open, while a pull exerted on the other end of the chain will cause a closing movement of the screen parts.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of means for mounting the screen parts 30 in a fireplace whereby the mounting and operating parts of the screen are rendered substantially invisible. This idea is carried out by forming a groove in the top wall of the fireplace which is lined with an appropriate channel bar; the sup- 5 porting rod for the screen including the pulleys, and the mechanism associated with the chains being disposed in the channel of the channel bar whereby they are substantially invisible from the front of the fireplace.

40 Various other more detailed objects and ad- 55 the invention, reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a front view of a fireplace having a screen applied thereto in accordance with the precepts of this invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the fireplace shown in Figure 1; this view being taken on a plane at right-angles to the showing of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a View of a modification in which 10 the channel structure for receiving the supporting bar is eliminated,

Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed view of the upper portion of the screen parts and the supporting bar therefor, 15

Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed View bringing out the arrangement for supporting the screen parts at the sides of the fireplace,

Figure 6 is an enlarged detailed view in perspective of one of the sliding plates to which the center edges of the screen parts are anchored, and

Figure 7 is a detailed elevational showing of one of the pulley mechanisms that are carried by the supporting bar.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts, a fireplace is shown in Figure 1 as including a front opening that is defined by side walls It and H and a top wall l2. Ordinarily fireplaces of this type are made from brick or a similar material, and in a preferred embodiment of the invention the top wall 2 has the bricks cut away to provide a groove l3 that extends transversely across the top wall just a slight distance back from'the front face of the fireplace; this relationship being brought out in Figure 2.

A channel bar designated [4 is snugly received in the groove I3 and constitutes a lining therefor.

This channel bar l4 may be made of any desired material, and is illustrated as having flanges I5 0 which engage the top wall I2 on opposite sides of the groove l3.

The supporting bar for the screen may be mounted within the channel of the channel bar I4, or this channel may be entirely eliminated, as shown in Figure 3. In any event, the cross bar will take the form clearly shown in Figure 4, and which is referred to generally by the reference character B. At each end the bar B is formed with cylindrical portions l6 which are securely 5 received in anchoring elements I! (Figure 3) that are in turn aflixed to the side walls l0 and I l as by the plate and bolt construction represented at l8.

Intermediate the cylindrical section iii the bar v B is of a rectangular formation designated [9. At this point it is well to note that the cylindrical section it at the left hand side of the showing of Figure 4 carries a bracket member 20 which in turn carries a pulley 2| that is rotatable therein. The cylindrical section H5 at the other, or right hand side of the showing of Figure 4, carries a bracket member 22 that in turn carries a. pair of pulleys 23 and 24 (see Figure '7). The purpose of these pulleys will be pointed out hereinafter.

Slidably received on the bar B are a pair of plate elements designated P1 and P2. These plate members P1 and P2 are of a duplicate complemental construction, and only one of them-needs be described in detail for the purpose of this specification.

Accordingly, upon reference to Figure'fi it wil be noted that the plate member P1 comprises a rectangularly shaped casing 25 that is disposed about the correspondingly shaped-portion IQ of the bar B and is slidable thereon. one side wall, and portions of the top and bottom walls of the casing 25, are continued to define a channel construction identified at 2% which fits about one side of the rectangular part N3 of the bar B.

At this point it is well to note that the ccnstructions 25 and 26 of the plates P1 and P2 are complemental so as to permit these plates to slide into an overlapping position.

Connected to the underside of the casing 25 and channel 26, as by a flange represented at 2?, is a plate 28 that is formed with a plurality of openings 29, for a purpose to be later described. Extending downwardly from the free edge of the channel construction 26 is a plate extension 39 that extends to the bottom of the fireplace opening.

A pair of screen parts are shown in Figure 4 a and are identified as S1 and S2 respectively. The screen part S1 has one corner thereof anchored to the plate assembly P1, with the free or inner edge of the screen part S1 connected to the plate extension 30, as shown at 3| in Figure 4. The side of the screen part S1 which is disposed adjacent to the side wall It of the fireplace includes a rod 32 which imparts rigidity whereby the side edge of the screen is definitely defined, and immediately adjacent to the rod 32 the mesh of the screen S1 carries a supporting ring 33 that is fitted over the cylindrical part N5 of the bar B. the possibility of the ring 23 sliding along the bar, and the inner edge ofthe screen partS1v is thus held against movement.

Each of the screen parts S1 and S2 may be of any desired construction, but the invention has particularly in mind a wire or metallic mesh which has the desired property of flexibility to readily accommodate opening and closing of the screen. This wire mesh should'be, of course, effective to provide the desired protective effects.

Between the plate P1 and the bracket 28 the screen part S1 may be supported by as many supporting rings as are found necessary; the number of these rings being dependent upon the length of the barB. These rings are identified generally as R, and are similar in construction to'the ring 33, tions 3% which engage with the mesh of the screen parts S1 and S2.

The screen part S2 has its upper corneranchored to the plate P2 in the same manner as above described in connection with the screen At one end In this position the bracket-20 precludes eing provided with hook porpart S1. This screen part S2 also has its corner at the outer edge connected to the plate extension 3|] of the plate extension P2, and the side edge of the screen part S2 which is adjacent to the wall ll of the fireplace is supported by a ring that is identical in all respects to the ring 33.

A chain, which is represented somewhat diagrammatically in the showing of Figure 4 and designated 35, passes over the pulley 23 that is carried by the bracket .22 and through the supporting rings R that are associated with the screen part S2. This chain then passes through the openings 29 in the plate P2 in the manner shown in Figure 4 and which passage constitutes,

in eifect, an anchorage of the chain to the member 23 of the plate assembly P2. This chain 35 is then continued through the rings R. that are associated with the screen part S1 and around the pulley 2| and thence back through the rings R to the member 28 of the plate assembly P1, where his passed through the openings 29 in the same manner as in the plate assembly P2.

The chain is then continued on through the r ngs R of the screen part S2 and over the pulley 2-? to a convenient position; each of the extremities of the chain being provided with any desired operating members, such as that shown in Figure 6, to facilitate grasping thereof.

By grasping the operating member 36 that is shown in Figure 4, and exerting a pull thereon the two parts S1 and S2 will be drawn together,

and by releasing this end of the chain and exerting a "pull on the other end of the chain the screen parts S1 and S2 may be drawn apart.

While preferred specific embodiments of the invention are hereinbefore set forth ity is to be clearly understood that I am not to be limited to the exact construction illustrated and described, because various modifications of these details may be provided in putting the invention into practice within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fireplace screen of the character described comprising a supporting bar adapted to be mounted in a fireplace opening, a pair of plate assemblies slidably mounted on said supporting bar, a pair of screen parts each having one corner affixedto said plate assemblies, plate extensions extending downwardly from each of said plate assemblies, each of the screen parts having an edge secured to said plate extensions, the edges of said screen parts which are remote from said plate assemblies being immovably affixed to said supporting bar, and means for moving said plate assemblies along the bar to impart opening and closing movements to the screen parts.

2. A fireplace screen of the character described comprising a supporting bar adapted to be mounted transversely across the upper part of a fireplace opening, a pair of complemental supporting plates slidably mounted on the bar, said supporting plates being movable on the bar and adapted to assume an overlapping position, plate extensions extending downwardly from said plate assemblies substantially to the bottom of the fireplace, a pair of screen parts each having one edge connected to said plate extensions, with the corner at. the upper part of said edge connected .to the plate assemblies, means for supporting the edges of said screen parts remote from the plate extensions from the supporting bar, said means also constituting a means for holding said edges against movement along the bar, supporting rings associated witheach screen part for supporting the screen part from the bar, said rings being slidable along the bar, and means for causing relative movement of the plate assemblies.

3. A fireplace screen of the character described comprising a supporting bar adapted to be mounted transversely across the upper part of a fireplace opening, a pair of complemental supporting plates slidably mounted on the bar, said supporting plates being movable on the bar and adapted to assume an overlapping position, plate extensions extending downwardly from said. plate assemblies substantially to the bottom of the fireplace, a pair of screen parts each having one edge connected to said plate extensions, with the corner at the upper part of said edge connected to the plate assemblies, means for supporting the edges of said screen parts remote from the plate extensions from the supporting bar, said means also constituting a means for holding said edges against movement along the bar, supporting rings associated with each screen part for supporting the screen part from the bar, said rings being slidable along the bar, pulleys carried by the bar at each end, and a chain passing over said pulleys and anchored to said plate assemblies for causing movement thereof along the bar.

4. In a fireplace screen of the character described and in combination, a supporting bar having cylindrical end sections and a rectangularly shaped body portion, and a pair of complemental plate assemblies slidable on said rectangularly shaped portions into an overlapping relationship, each of said plate assemblies including a channel construction for receiving a part of said bar, said plate assemblies being adapted to have the corners of flexible screen parts secured thereto.

5. In a fireplace screen of the character described and in combination, a supporting bar having a square shaped main body portion, means at each end of the bar for anchoring the same in position in the opening of a fireplace, a plate assembly having a casing complemental to the shape of the bar and disposed about the bar, said plate assembly including a plate extension adapted to extend substantially to the bottom of said plate assembly including a plate extension adapted to extend substantially to the bottom of the fireplace, a downwardly depending plate member disposed beneath said casing part, said plate member and plate extension including means 'for anchoring the corner and edge of a flexible screen part thereto, said depending plate member being formed with means for anchoring a chain thereto, a pulley carried by the bar, and a chain passing around said pulley'and anchored to said plate assembly.

7. A fireplace screen of the character described comprising a supporting bar, means at each end of the supporting bar for anchoring thesame to' the walls of a fireplace, a bracket member disposed at each end of the bar, pulleys carried by each of said bracket members, said supporting bar having a square shaped main body portion, a pair of complemental plate assemblies slidably mounted on the square shaped body portion of the ban-flexible screen parts anchored at one the screen parts.

DANIEL K. EISELE. 

